DRI seizes 4 kilograms of cocaine worth ₹40 crore, arrests carrier

An Indian national arriving from Sierra Leone, Africa was apprehended by the Mumbai zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The suspect was arrested for allegedly smuggling 4 kilograms of cocaine, estimated to be worth around ₹40 crore in the illicit market

Mumbai: An Indian national arriving from Sierra Leone, Africa was apprehended by the Mumbai zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The suspect was arrested for allegedly smuggling 4 kilograms of cocaine, estimated to be worth around ₹40 crore in the illicit market.

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Acting on intelligence inputs about the individual possessing narcotic substances, the DRI identified and intercepted the suspect at a hotel near Mumbai airport, where he was staying. Upon a thorough examination of his luggage, two packets containing a white powdery substance were discovered and ingeniously concealed in the upper and lower compartments of the trolley bag.

The travel documents indicated that the suspect had carried the bag from Sierra Leone to Mumbai. Field testing confirmed the presence of cocaine in the recovered substance, leading to its seizure under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The accused was remanded to judicial custody by a city court.

The DRI is now focused on further investigations to trace and apprehend key members of the narcotics trafficking syndicate that allegedly tasked the accused with smuggling the cocaine, the sources said.

“The operation signifies the capabilities of DRI as an enforcement agency in busting all kinds of modus operandi used in drug trafficking, “ a DRI source said. The source said that the agency responds swiftly to emerging situations, for an effective and proactive approach to combating criminal activities.